Resurgence. Hands down the best Virtual Reality Massive-Multi Online Role Playing Game. Ever. There is no comparison between Resurgence and any other game, or AltCon and any other parent company, as any of the thousands of beta testers will attest -- at great length and detail. Any beta tester but Alex, anyway.
Alex knows that Resurgence is more than just a game, that others have likely died so that Resurgence could be released to the public. The truth weighs heavily upon him, though the mystery of AltCon's true endgame is the real cause of his frustrations.
While Alex secretly works to discover the reality behind Resurgence -- and AltCon's true intentions -- he is not alone. With the tight-knit squad of players he has come to think of as friends, Alex must overcome the array of challenges in the game in order to discover the truth.
Even though Alex must work in secret, he is not as alone in his quest as he believes. Substantial forces outside of the game are stacking up to confront AltCon in their own way, all trying to answer the same question: can AltCon be stopped?
My Opinion: 484 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
In the 1st book, we’re introduced to team of beta players testing the greatest VRMMO ever developed, Resurgence. Our hero, Alex, is recruited by the an A.I. entity in the game to search for code that may harm the players. He’s given a boost some of his stats, specifically ‘chance’ and some slightly overpowered gear to help him accomplish his goals. Additionally, he’s given access to some unique thief abilities that let him harness the powers of the shadows. Alex teams up with a quirky group of other players (Dan, Wayne, and Jason) and together they go off on some amazing adventures.
In the real world, the game company AltCon, is under secret investigation by the government over their tech’s ability to possibly mind control the players in Resurgence.
In book 2, things are still progressing along the same lines. Alex, still can’t tell his group about his interest in finding this dangerous code. AltCon is refining its ability to influence the players. The government is ramping up its investigation and have even planted a few agents in the game. Will, Alex discover the secrets AltCon is hiding?
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Short answer, no. But that’s ok. The author took the parts I liked the most about book 1, the adventuring with friends part and greatly expanded on it. Which I thoroughly enjoyed.
While the recap at the beginning of the story is a little hard to get into, the story gets into the game world fairy quickly this time and stays there 90% of the time. The only times it comes back to the real world is when it’s building up the government investigation part, revealing the AltCon conspiracy, or in one instance when the players from Alex’s group hangout in real life.
That scene by the way is one of my favorite parts of the story. It includes a scene where James is recounting how his partner Jason (member of main group) showed him how illogical it was to get jealous over Jason spending hours gaming by making him think about the solo activities he loves to do, like reading. It’s one of the best explanations of the dynamic that exists between gamers and non-gamer partners.
Most of the time in the novel is spent with the main group going on various adventure in the game, gaining XP, levels, and cool gear. There is also a pretty decent amount of time spent with Alex, the main character, and his training as a thief. The banter between group members is still very funny and enjoyable and I had a nice time just hanging out with these guys again.
However, I do have to point out that if you’re the type of reader that is expecting advancement in the big plot about AltCon’s mind control stuff or the government investigation, you’re going to be disappointed. There’s a little advancement in that area, but the story is mostly about Alex and his friends going on adventures and grinding out some levels and skills.
Score: 7 out of 10